Dear Eric: I’m 35 years old with a dad who is 67. We talk about business, sports and politics.

The issue is that my dad asks me questions that are simple to look up online. They very often do not relate to the conversation and are silly.

I have brought up my issue with him doing this before and his response is “it gives us something to talk about” and that there would be nothing to talk about if we lived by the motto “don’t ask it if you can find the answer on Google.”

He has the newest iPhone and knows how to use it well. When he asks me questions, if I don’t know the answer, I Google it and share, but I get frustrated. .

— Not Google

Dear Not Google: Flawed though his methods may seem, I think your dad’s heart is in the right place and I’d encourage you to think about it in a different way. Though you have a good conversational relationship, there’s still clearly something in him that feels the need to add more material to keep the conversation going. Maybe it’s something that’s lacking in your talks, maybe it comes from an insecurity that he has. But try to think of these questions as offerings. He wants to engage with you, and that’s a gift.

See if you can find some interest in the search for answers. Try asking him questions about the results or ask him to find it and inform you instead.

Dear Eric: My 98-year-old father is living with dementia. Because it isn’t advanced, he is painfully aware that his memory is failing him. He often recounts things — past and present — that aren’t true. Following advice from the Alzheimer’s Association, we accept whatever he says as fact to preserve his dignity.

Several of Dad’s lifelong friends have stopped calling. I think they feel uncomfortable with the conversations, which, in all honesty, are not always easy.

My gut tells me to call these friends and give them a piece of my mind. I’d rather they skip his eventual funeral and just give him five minutes of their time now. Since “shaming” them probably isn’t the best strategy, how can I encourage these old friends to re-engage with a man who needs them now more than ever?

— Caring for Dad

Dear Caring: Try calling your father’s friends, giving them a full picture of what’s going on.

By making it plain, you are helping to disentangle some of the complicated emotions that they may be having — frustration, maybe, grief, guilt — and giving them what is hopefully an easy yes.

It’s important for everyone to remember that it’s better to ask than to avoid.

— Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com.